This Mask I Wear
by The Demon Princess
Summary: A few stories are passed around. Spoilers for Tamahome, Chichiri, Nuriko, and Miaka. (Past junk) Tamahome, Nuriko, and Miaka press Chichiri to tell how he got such a jagged scar. A poem at the end.
1. This Mask I Wear

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This Mask I Wear

This is a Chichiri fanfic, not yaoi. I think it's terrible to slash Chichiri. Don't get me wrong, I am a yaoi fan. I love Hiei and Kurama pairings but... Chichiri just isn't the type that would do that. I don't even think he's the type that can fall in love anymore. This is an AU, no appearent timeline, just something to bring Chichiri justify the wrongs authors have done to Chichiri-san. Gomen ne to Chichiri/Tasuki fans.

"Chichiri?" Miaka asked.

"Yes?" Chichiri answered.

"What's with the mask?" Chichiri was a bit shocked to say the least.

"Well... It's to hide my scar, no da?" Chichiri's mask was smiling.

"Well, I don't like it. I can't see your eyes. You look too... Weird," Miaka finished.

"Well, some people find my scar disturbing, no da?" Chichiri explained.

"Well, I don't," Miaka replied.

"Well..." Chichiri struggled for words.

"Chichiri, have you noticed you're saying 'well' more than 'no da'?" Miaka grinned.

"You're right, no da!" Chichiri replied.

"Chichiri, take you're mask off," Miaka commanded.

"Nani?" Chichiri looked a little surprised.

"Onegai? I just wanna see it," Miaka pleaded.

"Well... No da, haven't you already seen it?" Chichir asked.

"Not very well, it's usually an emergency or something else serious when you take off your mask," Miaka placed her hands on her hips and shifted her weight.

"Very well..." Chichiri tugged his mask off, "No da, I don't see what the big deal is," Chichiri shifted slightly as Miaka leaned up to inspect his face.

"Well, that sure doesn't look like any type of blade scar, or any weapon I know of. It's too jagged. How did you get it, Chichiri?" Miaka looked throughtful.

"I'd rather not..." Chichiri began to re-place his mask, Miaka placed a hand on his arm.

"Tell me," She pressed.

"Miaka!" someone called, it was Nuriko. Behind him was Tamahome.

"Hi, Nuriko, Tamahome!" Miaka grinned. Nuriko creeped over to Miaka and nudged her with his elbow.

"What, dumping Tama-chan for Chichiri, eh?" Nuriko smirked. (Think the smirk Nuriko had when they were in the fisherman's cave, after they fell of the ship and he was plotting to make Miaka think he was trying to seduce her, but ruined it by bursting into laughter at Miaka's blushing) Miaka blushed furiously.

"Of course not!" She snapped.

"Of course not what?" Chichiri asked.

"Oh, I just asked her if she was dumping Tama-chan for you," Nuriko replied.

"NURIKO!" Miaka bellowed, steaming, "I was in the middle of something!"

"In the middle of what?" Tamahome asked.

"I was trying to get Chichiri to tell me about his past, how he got his scar," Miaka replied, "See, his scar is to jagged to be made by any weapon blade, so I was wondering,"

"You're right.... I never noticed that," Tamahome mused.

"...." Chichiri scratched the back of his head, '_How am I going to get out of this one, no da?_'

"Chichiri? Onegai, tell me," Miaka pleaded. Nuriko looked into Chichiri's good eye. Nuriko saw pain and greif, she reconized them easily. She had seen them in her own eyes, once. She sighed.

'_I guess he just needs a little push_,' Nuriko clapped her hands together, "Fine, if he doesn't want to, I'll start!" Nuriko tried to smile, but the smile never reached her eyes.

"It happened when I was around ten years old..." Nuriko began. Chichiri's good eye widened. He could easily see behind Nuriko's brave smile. He could see, and feel, the struggle Nuriko's emotions were going through.

"I had a little sister named Korin... We were very close. We were exactly alike. Our laughter, the way we talked, even the way we looked. She was everything to me..." Nuriko continued.

'_Had? Was? Past terms..._' Chichiri had a hunch on what happened next.

"She followed me everywhere, if I haden't loved her so much, I may have found it annoying, but I didn't. One day, I was out walking and didn't realize she had followed me....

_'Ryuuen! Oniichan!' _

_A young Nuriko turned and began to wave to his little sister. He suddenly inhales sharply and turns his head to his right a bit. His head snaps back to his sister. She was still smiling, eyes closed, waiving to her brother. She was giggling faintly. The horse got closer and closer. The driver seemed not to notice the little girl, or just didn't care. The shockwaves of the impact blew his hair to one side._

_'Korin...' Ryuuen's vision seemed to glaze over red._

_'Korin...!' Ryuuen stagger torwards his fallen sibling._

_'Korin!'_

_'Korin is dead, Ryuuen,'_

_'She's gone forever,'_

_'It's best just to forget about her,'_

_'Yes, forget all this, just forget,'_

_'How can I just forget about her?' Ryuuen stood, hands clenched into fists. Tears streamed down his face._

_Ryuuen opened a basket. Inside were Korin's clothing._

_'Don't worry, Korin. I won't forget you, we'll never be apart. I'll live on in your place... I'm you now, Korin... I'm you...' Ryuuen is dressed in a pink gown. His hair is let down as he stares into a mirror._

_'I'm you....'_

Everyone present was crying or on the verge of tears.

"I always blamed myself for Korin's death, I guess I thought if I became as much of a girl as I could, we would always be together...." Nuriko looked up, "Sorry to get all serious on you like this," Nuriko forced another smile.

".... ..... .... So that's why you turned gay?" Miaka asked. Nuriko looked at her scornfully.

"Couldn't you at least call me a crossdresser or something...?" Nurkio asked in a dry voice.

"Nuriko..." Chichiri sighed.

"You ready now?" Nuriko asked.

"I really..." Chichiri let his sentence hang. Tamahome sighed. His turn.

"Alright then, I'll go....

"All my life, I've lived for my family. They needed me, and I needed them. There was only money in my head. I made myself think about nothing but money. I had lust for nothing but money. I never fell in love, I never did anything but make plans to make more money. I knew I was a Celectial Warrior. I just decided to ignore it. I had to protect my family. When...." Tamahome swallowed, his throat had tightened on him, "When Suboshi killed them... Well... Yurien, my little sister, she wasn't dead when I arrived. I promised I would stay with her forever. That I would never leave her again. When she died, I seriously thought about going with her. When I tried to, Miaka's face would show up in my mind. It was then I realized that I still had to protect her. Before I had thought, '_Everything I live for is gone,_' I couldn't have been more wrong. Now, I will protect Miaka, with my life. I hope Yurien forgives me, but I don't think she'll mind waiting too much," Now everyone whom was on ther verge of tears were crying and the ones that had been crying were sobbing.

"Tamahome...! You didn't... You didn't try to kill yourself, did you? Did you?!?!" Miaka cried. Tamahome looked away. Miaka's chest rose and fell with shuddering sobs. Nuriko took Miaka in his arms and rocked her like a baby.

"Shhh.... Shhh... It's alright, he's fine, isn't he, Miaka?" Nuriko turned to Chichiri, "Ready?"

"..." Chichiri kept his eyes downcast.

"I have something to tell too..." Miaka murmered.

"It's about me and Yui-chan...

"We've been friends scince we were really little kids. If none of this had happened.... We would still be friends. We would be taking our high school entrance exam. The reason Yui hates me so much is because when she came here.... You know. But, she wasn't really raped! You all know as well as I that the preistess _must_ be a virgin! She only thought she was. Nakago... He filled her head with lies! He took her when she was hurt and made her hate me. Yui-chan is now convinced that I betrayed her..." (Keep in mind, there is no timeline)

"Alright," Chichiri said.

"Nani?" Nuriko asked.

"I'll tell,

"When I was eighteen.... I had a fiancee, her name was Kouran. I... I caught her kissing my best friend, Hikou. I stormed off that day. Kouran killed herself, thinking she was no longer worthy of me. I... I though she killed herself because she loved Hikou and not me. In fury, I fought the one I trusted most in the world. A flood... While we fought, a flood washed in. I grabbed Hikou's hand. I held on as tight as I could. He was still my friend. A log came crashing in and hit my left eye. In a moment of severe pain, I let Hikou's hand go. He drowned..." With that, Chichiri re-placed his mask.

This Mask I Wear

_Upon my face, I wear a mask  
That hides the true me  
To hide the self deep inside  
Whom no one will ever see  
The self that cries out for friends,  
For family and for fame,  
Without the mask I would have,  
Nothing but shame,  
This mask I wear is always silent,  
It's eyes curious and bright  
Behind it my eyes are filled with tears,  
Born from my personal fight,  
Instead of the curious eyes,  
That belong to my mask,  
My eyes are hollow and weary,  
Thus is my eternal task,_

So it doesn't fit perfectly, I think it's good so :P


	2. Epilogue

This Mask I Wear-

This Mask I Wear- Epilogue

"C-chichiri...?" Miaka whispered, eyes round and lost.

"Yes?" Chichiri replied. Not turning around.

"Gomen ne... Gomen ne..."

"Gomen? For what?" Chichiri asked.

"I didn't mean to press you..." Miaka replied.

"..."

"..."

"...Baka, yes you did," Nuriko said after a few long pauses.

"NURIKO!" Miaka whined.

"Well, it's fine, no da? I mean, that was when I was eighteen, I'm twenty-four now, no da? Wow, twenty-four, no da? I'm old, no da!" Chichiri turned his head over to them, his mask smiling brightly. Wetness trickled down his neck though, showing he was crying beneath the mask.

"Chichiri..." Tamahome didn't know how to respond. He never, in his life, expected....

"Chichiri! Tamahome! Nuriko! Miaka!" It was Hotohori.

"What happened?" Chiriko asked, "What has caused this occasion to be so mournful that all of you are in grief?"

"Nothing, nothing at all!" Tamahome and Nuriko went super-deforemed and ran off. Miaka walked over to Chichiri and wrapped him in a tight hug. She then made the most beleiveable excuse she could think of.

"I'm hungry! Lets eat!" She cried as she pulled away from him. She skipped off. Hotohori and Chiriko sweatdropped. Forgetting about the hug, His Highness and Chiriko were too busy thinking how they would survive this assult on their food supply.

In the distance, Chichiri heard the following: "Miaka! You're _really_ dumping Tamahome for Chichiri?

"Nani!?! You _saw_?"

"Of course I did! So, when's the wedding?"

"Never! Why you...! I mean, me and Chichiri? Are you _insane_?!?"

"Come on! Go march over to him and give him a biiiig kiss"

"NURIKO!"

"What? You would just make _such_ a cute couple!"

"If I were to dump Tamahome, I would go after His Highness!"

"Why?!?!"

"To make you mad,"

"Miaka, come on! I was joking!"

"I wasn't,"

"Please?"

"No."

"Then I'll go tell Chichiri you loooove him!"

"NURIKO!"

Insert favorite curse word here

"You didn't have to punch me! Sometimes I wonder if you're stronger than me..."


End file.
